Saturday, March 18, 2017

Self portrait: conté crayons on cardboard

A post shared by Will Hopkins (@williamhopkins) on Feb 11, 2017 at 2:50pm PST

Artist Statement

Self-portraits don't come naturally to me. They are vulnerable, sometimes intensely so, but that vulnerability can also be an invitation to the viewer to sit with me as the artist.

My art is a meditation. When I create, usually by sketching, I am trying to be fully present in that moment. The work I create isn't intended to freeze the moment or somehow preserve it beyond its time, but rather to be a trace remnant of it, one ephemeral facet.

Inspired by plein air painters, Buddhist writers, and concept artists, my art attempts to challenge mind/body dualism and unify my self while I create. I am drawn to materials like cardboard boxes and chalk because they aren't precious. I want my creation to take place in the present moment, so whatever is easily at hand becomes repurposed as a part of the work.